Building Design & Construction articles from June 2003

Building Design & Construction archives from June 2003

What next for sustainability? (Editorial).(Editorial)
June 1, 2003... In just one decade, "sustainability" has grown from a concept that had almost no credibility, to one that has captured the imagination of forward-thinking building owners, developers, Federal and state agencies, school officials, colleges and...

'Mixed-use' a winning concept with New Urbanists. (News & Trends).
June 1, 2003... A European planned community, a neighborhood centered around a downtown ballpark, and several mixed-use neighborhoods were among the 15 Charter Award recipients honored recently by the Congress for the New Urbanism, San Francisco. Prizes were...

A 543,000-sq.-ft. office building. (Projects awarded).(Davis, Carter, Scott, /Clark Construction contract)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Boston-based Boston Properties is the developer of 901 New York Avenue, a 543,000-sq.-ft. office building under construction one block from the recently completed Washington, D.C., Convention Center. Davis, Carter, Scott, McLean, Va., is the...

National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. (Projects awarded).(McCarthy Building Cos. contract)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y., will get a $10 million facelift from CM/GC McCarthy Building Cos., St. Louis. Improvements to the museum, which opened in 1939, include upgraded security, fire alarm,...

208,271-sq.-ft. satellite and operation facility. (Projects awarded).(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... * Ground has been broken for construction of a 208,271-sq.-ft. satellite and operation facility in Suitland, Md., for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The designer is Morphosis, Santa Monica, Calif., with engineering by A/E...

Tax cuts pave the way to a brighter 2004. (News & Trends).
June 1, 2003... Not one, not two, but three chief economists who specialize in construction forecasting see sunnier skies for the nonresidential building industry next year. Kenneth D. Simonson, chief economist for Washington-based Associated General...

Awards to BD&C editors, designers. (News & Trends).(Construction Writers of America award to Gordon Wright; National Press Club award to Matthew Phair)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... The Construction Writers of America has named Gordon Wright, executive editor of Building Design & Construction, the recipient of its highest honor, the "Silver Hardhat," for lifetime service. Wright is a 30-year veteran of the publication and...

Fox & Fowle Architects. (People/firms).(Robert F. Fox, Jr. leaves; Daniel J. Kaplan becomes principal)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Neither fox nor foul: Robert F. Fox, Jr., co-founding principal of Fox & Fowle Architects, has left the firm to set up his own practice in New York City. Fox & Fowle, known as one of the premier "green" design firms, will continue to practice...

RF Walsh Co. (People/firms).(restructuring)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Boston's RF Walsh Co. has restructured the 22-year-old PM/CM firm so that Robert F. Walsh, now chairman/CEO, can focus on new business opportunities, while Timothy J. Bonfatti, the new president/COO, manages day-to-day operations. Recent...

Flad & Associates. (People/firms).(Ken Lerch )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Ken Lerch is the new development director in the San Francisco office of A/E Flad & Associates, Madison, Wis.

For sale: J.A. Jones Construction Co. (News & Trends).(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
June 1, 2003... After the failure of two deals that would have rescued it through an acquisition, 113-year old J.A. Jones Construction Co., Charlotte, N.C., has again been placed on the block by parent company J.A. Jones Inc. Interim CEO J.P. Bolduc said...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
June 1, 2003... Oops, wrong building The photo on the opening page of "An Asian airport with U.S. roots" (BD&C, April 2003, p. 43) was actually an aerial view of Incheon Airport's Intermodal Transportation Center, which was designed by Terry Farrell +...

RPA Architecture. (People/firms).(Tim Forsyth, executive chairman)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Across the pond, Tim Forsyth, formerly VP at RIBA, becomes executive chairman at the UK's RPA Architecture, Ashford, Middlesex, specialists in retail design.

Gresham, Smith & Partners. (People/firms).(James E. Jeffers)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Nashville A/E firm Gresham, Smith & Partners has named James E. Jeffers, P.E., to its transportation engineering team. Jeffers had served 32 years with the Tennessee Department of Transportation, most recently as operations director.

Paul H. Schwendener Inc. (People/firms).(Julie Dunne VP, business development)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Julie Dunne has joined Paul H. Schwendener Inc., Westmont, Ill., as VP of business development of the family-owned CM firm.

M. Malia & Associates. (People/firms).(acquired by North American Video Ltd.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... M. Malia & Associates, a security consulting and design firm in the gaming/hospitality industry, has been acquired by North American Video, Brick, N.J., a design/build firm servicing the security market

PSA Constructors. (People/firms).(John Clayton to head new office)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... PSA Constructors, an African-American-owned PM/CM firm headquartered in Orlando, Fla., has expanded to a new office in Oakland, Calif., headed by director of business development John Clayton. PSA, founded in 1994 by Patrick Aliu, is prime PM...

A/E Ballinger. (People/firms).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... A/E Ballinger has new digs. The 200-person firm has rented 44,000 sq. ft. at 833 Chestnut St., Philadelphia. "The growth of the firm made the need far more space very evident," says Terry Steelman, principal and design director.

Leslie E. Robertson Associates. (People/firms).(Richard Zottola and Benjamin M. Cornelius to manage new office)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Leslie E. Robertson Associates has opened an office at 170 Hamilton Ave., White Plains, N.Y. Partner Richard Zottola and senior associate Benjamin M. Cornelius will manage the consulting structural engineer's new office.

Skanska USA Building Inc. (People/firms).(BFW Construction Co. acquired)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Skanska USA Building Inc., Parsippany, N.J., has agreed to acquire BFW Construction Co., an employee-owned construction firm in Temple, Texas, for $19 million. BFW, with 150 employees, had sales of $100 million last year. Its current order...

MulvannyG2 Architecture. (People/firms).(Jim Hillier heads new office; Cornerstone Architecture acquired)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Bellevue, Wash.-based MulvannyG2 Architecture has opened an office in Irvine, Calif., to better serve one of its biggest clients, Costco Wholesale. VP Jim Hillier will head the new branch. The firm has also expanded operations to Shanghai,...

A/E HDR. (People/firms).(HDR Security Operations )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Omaha, Neb.-based A/E HDR has set up 15-person HDR Security Operations in Orlando, Fla., under W. Douglas Fitzgerald, an anti-terrorism expert.

BD&C-sponsored gala at AIA Expo honors the winners of the 2003 Building Team Project Awards. (News & Trends).(American Institute of Architects)
June 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: At AIA Expo in San Diego, BD&C hosted a reception to honor the winners of the 6th Annual Building Team Project of the Year Awards. The May 8 event drew key members of the Building Teams for the eight winning...

Office vacancies starting to ease. (Industry Data).(Industry Overview)
June 1, 2003... The office vacancy rate in major metropolitan areas likely peaked at 16.5-17.0% earlier this year and is now subsiding slowly to under 16% by the end of the year. It could be as low as 12% by the end of 2004. Over the previous two years the...

Steel prices drop early in year, will rise in '04. (Industry Data).(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
June 1, 2003... Construction steel prices fell from August to March in a weak investment environment, as new supply appeared from previously shuttered capacity and from imports. Prices are now rising, with much of recent decline expected to be reversed by...

Manufacturing construction stabilizes, seen expanding in '04. (Industry Data).(Industry Overview)
June 1, 2003... Manufacturing construction spending fell nearly 60% in the last two years but is expected to be stable to slightly higher for most of this year, although the total still falls 10.4% from 2002. Sustained growth will begin this fall, when factory...

Healthcare still the place to be in construction. (Industry Data).(Industry Overview)
June 1, 2003... Healthcare construction spending dipped in the first quarter of 2003 after five quarters of expanding at a double-digit annual rate. Spending growth is expected to bounce back to a 10% annual pace through the end of 2004. The brief dip was...

Mold--is it insurable? (Legal Insights).
June 1, 2003... Mold is the most contentious indoor air quality issue since asbestos. For consultants and lawyers, "Mold is gold." This fungus occurs naturally in air and water and on objects. In order to reproduce, mold needs a food source and water. This...

Extranet puts a new face on existing applications. (Computer Applications).(The Cram Group )(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... Today's design and construction firms are faced with the problem of working with different applications and services for different projects. Sometimes the owner has standardized on Meridian's Prolog, for example, while the construction manager...

Free steel design tool may help save money. (News bits).(Clean Columns v3.1)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2003... Available as a free download from American Institute of Steel Construction's Web site, Clean Columns v3.1 can help reduce the overall cost of steel framing for a project. The software tool calculates the lightest column section that can be used...

AGC mold guidebook available online. (News bits).
June 1, 2003... To help construction contractors avoid mold claims and litigation, and to improve their prospects for future insurance coverage, AGC has published a 35-page booklet on the subject. The free publication, which is available online at AGC's Web...

Roof insulation calculator. (News bits).
June 1, 2003... In January 2003, under ASTM C1289-02, new Long-Term Thermal Resistance (LTTR) values became effective in the U.S. for polyisocyanurate roof insulation. To help simplify the learning curve, the Polyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers...

Four-sided compatibility: this contemporary office building blends unconventional and progressive visual features with distinctive local characteristics. (Custom Curtain Wall).
June 1, 2003... Designers of an 11-story Seattle office building received an apparently contradictory message when they first discussed the project's requirements with owner Vulcan Inc. The client wanted a "progressive, innovative, leading-edge type of...

Learning from the education market: new trends in the design and construction of schools and colleges can have direct application to work outside the education sector. (Exclusive Education Report)(Cover Story).
June 1, 2003... Education is, after healthcare, the most robust sector of the building design and construction market, and not just in dollar terms. For not only is the schools/university sector relatively strong financially, it is also a hotbed of innovation...

The ABC's of K-12: with state and local school districts facing extreme budget constraints, public schools are learning to adapt to a new environment. (Exclusive Education Report).
June 1, 2003... Although enrollments in U.S. elementary and secondary schools are expected to grow only modestly--or in some regions even to decline--over the near term, the education sector remains one of the steadiest nonresidential building markets, second...

Reinventing the university: colleges and universities are funneling scarce funds to major building projects that will appeal to a rapidly changing student demographic. (Exclusive Education Report).
June 1, 2003... The economic boom of the 1990s fattened state coffers even as the stock market boosted endowments, enabling public and private institutions of higher learning to invest in major building renovations, additions, and new construction to attract...

Whole lotta shakin' goin' on: your next project may have to meet stiff new seismic codes, even if it's nowhere near the West Coast. (Seismic Design).
June 1, 2003... Over the last decade, a fundamental shift in the national building codes has changed the landscape of seismic design. Building Temns that work out-side the West Coast could he designing for seismic events, even if they've never had to do so...

NeoCon World's Trade Fair. (Neocon Preview).
June 1, 2003... Date: June 16-18 Location: Merchandise Mart, Chicago www.merchandisemart.com (click an NeoCon) Born in 1969, NeoCon is now in its 35th year of bringing commercial and residential furnishing manufacturers and design professionals...

Environmental flooring. (Neocon Preview).
June 1, 2003... EcoCycle porcelain stone tile is available in five new colors, in 12 x 12-in. and 4 x 12-in tiles. Made of 50-100% recycled porcelain. According to the maker, EcoCycle is 30% harder than granite and is scratch-, stain-, and fade-resistant. It...

Covered in style. (Neocon Preview).
June 1, 2003... Task seating fabric can be used for acoustical panels and wrapped walls. Ricochet is available in 17 colors, including lemonade, flamingo, ruby, and flame. The material has a Teflon finish for added life. Knoll Textiles. Reader Service...

Hidden from view. (Neocon Preview).
June 1, 2003... Conference table with concealed arched doors provides space for self-contained equipment and integrated projection systems. Avid eliminates the need for ancillary storage, maximizing space utilization and efficiency in conference rooms. ...

Sit yourself down. (Neocon Preview).
June 1, 2003... Bar stool is attractive and comfortable for training sites, team and conference spaces, cafeterias, and hospitality and public building areas. Hannah is available in a stacking style as well. Izzy Design. Reader Service No. 307 ...

Going up! (Neocon Preview).
June 1, 2003... Interior wall and elevator cab surfacing material is made by laminating a printed interlayer material between two pieces of safety glass. ChromaSurface claims it can be easily wiped clean with ordinary cleaning supplies and meets building codes...

Office with a twist. (Neocon Preview).
June 1, 2003... Cubicle cloth fabric creates an original office design with its four color options: sunkist, grass, sky, and dusk. The Bryonia cubicle cloth was inspired by the work of German photographer and educator Karl Blossfeldt. Pallas. Reader...

The natural look. (Neocon Preview).
June 1, 2003... Laminate for a variety of vertical or horizontal applications is available in 12 new colors, all with earthy undertones. Fiber laminate is made from small pieces of recycled coffee bean bags, creating a natural appearance. Abet Laminati....

Motion detector. (Neocon Preview).
June 1, 2003... Mobile storage unit with a microprocessor-controlled laser-optic system prevents carriage movement whenever a person or an object is detected in an open aisle. When someone enters an aisle equipped with AisleGuard, the aisle automatically locks...

Comfort zone. (Neocon Preview).
June 1, 2003... Office chairs designed by Antonio Citterio have an organic shape for comfort. The Oson family of office chairs includes Oson Studio, with the oval back and seat (red), and the Oscon Corporate, a more formal look with a higher back and...

Yee-ha! (Products at work).
June 1, 2003... Two three-story office/engineering buildings being leased by Yahoo! are clad with Formavue windows overlooking a plaza area between the buildings. The windows, which integrate with Formawall Dimension Series panels, create an energy-efficient...

Venting to the outside. (Windows).
June 1, 2003... Windows which are visually frameless can be incorporated into storefront and curtainwall window systems in single- and multi story buildings. Glassvents provide less exterior sight line buildup, which allows more design potential far...

Transformed energy. (Windows).
June 1, 2003... Thermal-efficient acrylic block window is designed to meet new stringent energy codes for commercial projects where solar heat gain is an issue. The Solar Block derives its energy efficiency from a microlayer of metal that is adhered to the...

Expanding invention. (Products at work).
June 1, 2003... Princeton University's Frist Campus Center recently upgraded its windows as part of a $48 million renovation of the 92-year-old facility. The center, known as the historic site where Albert Einstein conducted his atom-splitting experiments, now...

Window defense. (Products at work).
June 1, 2003... Pentagon Row, a mixed-use town center within sight of the U.S. Defense Department headquarters, is located on 18 acres in Arlington, Va., overlooking the Potomac River and the national monuments. Combining 300,000 sq. ft. of street-level...

Fit to be framed. (Products).
June 1, 2003... Aluminum window-framing system provides thermal isolation without an inserted plastic break. Thermal-Slot is an energy-efficient framing system that offers lower heat transmission, a higher condensation resistance factor, and 100% structural...

See-through school. (Products at work).
June 1, 2003... The Tootin' Hills Elementary School in West Simsbury, Conn., added a Media Center and art rooms with daylighting translucent window panels to save on lighting costs and bring natural daylight into the rooms. The panels are structural composite...